From the beginning of February until the beginning of June, New Orleanians go into a festive frenzy. It begins with Mardi Gras, then the first warm weekend that falls, followed by St. Patrick’s Day, St. Joseph’s Day, Easter, French Quarter Fest, Jazz Fest and then end of school and start of summer vacations. The frenzy is not this collection of special events but rather the accessory to all of it: The frenzy is Crawfish Season.

The big plastic letters outside of Big Fisherman on Magazine Street or KJeans in Mid City spell out the magic words “Hot Boiled Crawfish Today” and those signs remain until the beginning of summer. During that time the seafood departments of grocery stores smell differently, weekends are planned differently, we look at draft beer with more affinity, and our Mardi Gras cups get used with more frequency.

Crawfish boils are comprised of collecting newspapers, setting up plastic tables, ordering kegs of beer, purging the crawfish, chopping the veggies, getting the seasoning juuuust so and then, finally, boiling the crawfish. Friends and family tear into the steaming red trough of crustaceans, picking their favorite accoutrements along the way – potatoes, corn, mushrooms, sausage, and maybe artichokes and garlic. Everyone comments on the size of the crawfish, the seasoning and the weather and they stand shoulder to shoulder pinching the tails, sucking the heads and enjoying their part in this Southern Louisiana ritual.

There is a a backside to all of this for the host though. When the friends have gone, when the tables are folded up, and when the garbage has been relocated to black contractor bags for pick up early Monday morning, there is usually – almost always – a leftover pile of crawfish that did not get eaten. So much work goes into the boil that it is disproportionately painful to discard anything uneaten, but what are you really going to do with any leftovers? There is not enough to make Crawfish Étouffée or or Crawfish Bisque and too many to just quickly peel them and pop them into your mouth.

I pondered this while eating my very own pile of crawfish at a friend’s boil recently. I looked around and realized the key to a good leftover recipe is finding a use not just for the crawfish but for the veggies and extras also. That’s how you differentiate it from just a plain crawfish recipe. And that is where Sunday Morning Crawfish Crepes come in.

Embrace the Saturday-afternoon crawfish boil as your first step toward Sunday brunch. With advance planning you have a great use not just for your leftover crawfish but for any of the “extras” you can snag including corn, garlic, mushrooms, sausage and just about anything else. The key to this being a success is to split up the work making the crepes on Friday, grabbing your leftover crawfish on Saturday and then mixing everything together on Sunday.

The recipe is really simple. The basic idea is to peel your crawfish, cut up your veggies and add them to a spicy béchamel . Then ladle that into and over crepes with asparagus. The asparagus aren’t really that crawfish boil-y but they do look nice and the fresh green crunch adds to an otherwise rich filling.

So fold up the plastic tables and break out the wine glasses and silverware: Brunch is served!

We are excited to formally introduce you to our collaboration series with The John Besh Foundation. Andrew has always been intrigued by the similarities that chefs and brewers possess and had long wanted to brew a chef-driven, collaborative beer.

When we heard about The John Besh Foundation, we knew it was a perfect opportunity to pitch them on the idea of working together. The Foundation works to preserve the rich culinary history of Louisiana by sending aspiring chefs to culinary school, as well as offering interest-free microloans for farmers. Andrew reached out to the Foundation to explore the creative process with some of the state’s best chefs, celebrate Louisiana ingredients, and give back through the Foundation with a charitable beer. We were thrilled that the Foundation was willing to work with us on this project and the brainstorming started right away. In December, Andrew and I put the high level plan together. Then we sat down with Chief Brewer Harvey Kenney and Borgne Head Chef Brian Landry to plan Volume One of the series.

We approached the conversation with no preconceived notions of what this beer would be. It was critical that the creative process and planning be truly organically creative, collaborative and representative of both Harvey and Brian. We started by tasting the Great Raft Brewing flagship beers to give Brian a solid understanding of the type of beers we brew year-around. We also drank a few saisons to start the conversation around different versatile styles of beer. Borgne is located near the French Quarter in the Hyatt Regency hotel and focuses on coastal cuisine. Although this beer will be widely available throughout the state, we wanted to be sure the beer would lend itself especially well to the menu at Borgne and Louisiana seafood.

Harvey introduced the idea of brewing something with Louisiana rice. Rice gets a bad wrap in the brewing game because some of the larger breweries use it to stretch the dollar and serve as a less expensive starch source. In our case, we wanted to explore how the rice would affect the flavor and body of a beer. We went back and forth about if a lager was the way to go. Ultimately, we felt a kolsch would be the best vessel to feature the rice and also still give us great body and drinkability.

Volume One is a kolsch with Louisiana Cajun Country™ rice that we dry-hopped with Amarillo and Nelson Sauvin hops. This duet of hops is super citrusy and loaded with unique aromas, making them some of the most sought after hops in the world. It was important for us to preserve the characteristics of the kolsch and show restrain with dry hopping. The result is beautiful aroma that heightens the beer while showcasing a new look at an old style.

Please enjoy Volume One of Provisions and Traditions. $1 of each bottle sold will go to the John Besh Foundation to help change the life of aspiring chefs and farmers who contribute so much to our rich culinary culture.

New Orleans is full of rituals. There is early morning at Cafe Du Monde when the French Quarter businesses and residents are hosing off their sidewalks, washing down the sins from the night before and steadying themselves for a new batch of visitors. All Saints Day at the cemetery where you cut down, clean up and tidy around the ancient stone monuments to loved ones since passed. Thanksgiving at "The Track" when you wear a silly hat or posh fascinator purchased at Fleur de Paris, long drunken Friday lunches at Galatoire's, only ordering fish on Fridays and always having your red beans and rice on Mondays. And always, always, WWOZ on the radio.

Photo by Gabrielle Geiselman // www.gabriellegeiselman.com.

Then there are drinks. Drinks are a bit of a rite of passage. Hurricanes and Hand Grenades are the beverage of choice in college when you can miraculously survive the onslaught of cheep booze and bright artificial colors. Spicy Bloody Marys call Sunday home as you say goodbye to the weekend and prepare for the business ahead. Pimm's are very best in the heat of summer when the fruits that adorn them are at their ripest and juiciest. Sazaracs become the aperitif of choice once you establish an appreciation for whiskey and then, one day, you are turned onto the best daytime cocktail ever. Ever. The Brandy Milk Punch.

Like so many things in New Orleans the origins of Brandy Milk Punch were likely beyond the shores of America but it was the restaurateurs of the city that gave the drink a rebirth as the preemenint Brunch cocktail. Today's version is a combination of brandy (sometimes bourbon), milk, simple syrup and vanilla. It goes down smoothly and is appreciated by spirited young men, elegant elderly women and just about everyone in between.

The very best way to make Brandy Milk Punch is by the jar. My friend Julie does that and it has become her hostess gift when invited to dinner parties. You have never seen someone invited to as many dinner parties as Julie. If you are going to make it by the batch, like Julie, my favorite bottle is this one because it looks really nice and pours easily. You just need a funnel to fill it. You can also make it in Mason jars - easier to mix but not as neat to pour. Life is a trade off, ya know?

This is a fantastic cocktail for this time of year, when it's a little cold, a little wet, a little rainy and you just want to start your Sunday brunch a little later and enjoy it a little more.

Brandy Milk Punch By The Glass:

2 ounces Brandy

1 ounce simple syrup (if you are anywhere near New Orleans try to find Locally Preserved cane simple syrup - it is a little richer in flavor than regular simple syrup)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 ounce milk

1/2 ounce whipping cream

fresh nutmeg

Put all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and add a cup of ice. Shake it until your arms hurt, then strain into a champagne coupe or strain over a fresh whiskey glass of ice. Top with fresh grated nutmeg.

Brandy Milk Punch By the 24-oz Bottle:

10 ounces Brandy

5 ounces simple syrup

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

7 ounces milk

2 1/2 ounces whipping cream

Add ingredients into the bottle through a funnel. Give it a good shake and then put it in the freezer for one to two hours. Take it out, give it another shake and then show up at the dinner party of your choosing. Invited or not. It won't matter.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans means different things to different people. Whether you are a visitor, a local, a writer, a dancer or a banker there is somewhere for you to fit in and to have the time of your life. And like any good venture in life, you get out of it what you put into it. So here is your guide to getting the most out of Mardi Gras.

1. The 101.

Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday) is both a single day and a season. The day falls, technically, the day before Ash Wednesday but people interchangeably use the terms Mardi Gras and Carnival to refer to the time period starting on Twelfth Night (January 6th) and concluding at midnight (sharp) the night before Ash Wednesday. What you need to know is that the real party lasts the final six days of Carnival. It begins in earnest the Wednesday before Fat Tuesday and increases in intensity until Mardi Gras Day when you are up and in costume by 8am very possibly a fragile shell of your former self.

The most important thing to know is that Mardi Gras is not a sprint. It is not even a marathon. It is an endurance race - one of those multi-day things that goes through the desert and if you get lost you'll have only your wits and an occasional flying rodent to sustain you. Pace yourself. It’s okay to turn things down. Don’t peak early and tumble down the other side.

2. The Po-Po.

The police you see in the street are overworked, overstressed, cold and tired of dealing with drunk people. That said they are also really fantastic at their job during Mardi Gras. They keep the peace, keep people safe and usually have a decent time. They will turn the other cheek to most transgressions but two that they will quickly make you regret are relieving yourself in public and fighting. Both will get you thrown in jail. It is important to know that if you do get tossed in the slammer you don't get out until after Mardi Gras Day. So find a bathroom and keep your hands to yourself.

Uptown is where the local families celebrate and they don't appreciate a load of obscenity and nakedness around their children. Be good to them and they will be good to you. It's easy to shake an invitation to a pot of red beans or a clean bathroom by being respectful and helping their kids catch beads. It's also easy to be the subject of some very angry neighborhood dads if you spill beer on Grandma and intercept little Joey's foam football.

The Bywater & Marigny: Mardi Gras Day is the day for the LGTBQ community. If you are any of those letters get to sleep early on Monday and be prepared to put your most fabulous foot forward on Tuesday morning at about 8am in the Bywater. Head to Mimi's and wait for the party to find you. You'll know it when you see it.

Frenchman Street: This is where to find music, restaurants and a lot of people. No parades but there is enough to keep you occupied. No kids here. 21+ only.

The French Quarter can be a super fun place to hang out if you are under 30. Plan to spend a lot of money on drinks stay on the main drag. Don’t forget that point about not upsetting the police. If you happen to still be lucid and in the French Quarter super late on Mardi Gras Day try to get up onto a balcony at 11:45pm. At midnight a thick line of police on horseback, followed by police on foot, followed by cars, followed by a clean-up crew make a sweep down Bourbon Street and make Mardi Gras vanish without a trace. It’s pretty cool to see.

4. Dress Code

If you are going to costume, which you TOTALLY should, make sure you mask has a hole to drink through. Also make sure you can easily use the bathroom in your costume. You need to commit to your fabulous alter ego -- no removing of wigs, even if they itch. No washing off of face paint until you are tucked in at home. Check the weather, dress appropriately and layer. Absolutely no purses.

5. Transport

Plan to walk everywhere and wear super comfortable shoes that you don't mind ruining. There is a lot of weird blurg on the ground and you are certain to step in it. If you think you are parked illegally, plan to be towed. The city has a huge collection of tow trucks and drivers who love this time of year.

6. All the small things

Tune your radio to WWOZ 90.7. Carry cash. Not too much. Leave your nice jewelry at home. Travel in packs. Don't be obnoxious. Keep Advil on hand. Drink lots of water. Carry a small pack of anti bacterial wipes. Never pass up a clean bathroom.

7. NOW….the good stuff

The parades! There is actually a guide to every official parade, its route and a little story about it. You can find that here. Now, install the WDSU parade tracker app on your phone so you know where to be and when. This will also help you know exactly how long you have to go find a bathroom before the parades start. You can’t make it to all 60 parades that roll through the Greater New Orleans area so pick a few and make them happen.

Try this out for a starter list:

NYX (pronounced Nicks). This is the newest all-female Mardi Gras Krewe founded in 2012 after soooooo many women wanted to join the highly revered Muses that they had to close their wait list. Nyx is applauded for diversity (as long as you are female) and their signature throw is a purse. There are 1200+ of these women and a lot of strong marching bands. They roll Wednesday evening (Feb. 11th) at 7pm following the Krewe of Druids. Krewe d'etat is a smaller parade with only 21 floats but it's satirical theme means it is often a favorite of critics. The captain and officers ride on horseback throughout the parade and The Dictator remains a secret until the day they parade. Members of the krewe dressed as walking skeletons hand out the papers and wooden doubloons at the parades. This one's funny and will definitely give you an education about what is frustrating locals at the moment. (6:30pm Friday, February 13th)

MUSES, Don't let the boys tell you the girls can't play! Muses rolled into town in 2000 and made the boys want to pack up their balls and go home. They continue as a Super Krewe in high demand with outstanding throws (one of the top catches at Mardi Gras is a Muses Shoe) and sarcastic themes and float titles. Plus, if you weren't sure, check this out: In 2013, the Honorary Muse was Ruby Bridges, the first African-American child to attend an all white elementary school in the south. Bam. (Thursday, February 12th, 6:30pm)

ENDYMION This is one of the three Super Krewes so called because of their huge krewes, large floats, increasing use of technology for lights and music and celebrity Grand Marshals Endymion bosts the world’s largest Mardi Gras float at 330 feet long, holing 230 riders and cost $1.2 million to build. This parade goes through Mid City and is a huge, huge locals and family parade. Line up early for this one. It rolls at 4:15 but generally goes well into the night. (Saturday, February 14th.)

THOTH This is a huge day-parade that has been rolling for 67 years. It rolls on Sunday at noon and is a big hit with kids. There are 40 floats and the riders are boisterous neighborhood dwellers. (Sunday, February 15th)

KREWE OF TUCKS is a basically a rolling fratnerity house. Expect lots of potty humor. The kids love it! (Noon, Saturday, February 14th)

KREWE OF ORPHEUS is the most musical of the parades having been founded by Harry Connick Junior and being named after the musically-inclined son of Zeus and Calliope. This was also the first Super Krewe to allow both male and female riders and locals LOVE this parade. It is the last thing you do before you go to sleep the night before Mardi Gras Day. (6pm Monday, February 16th)

ZULU Probably the parade with the richest history, Zulu is known primarily as an African American Krewe although they have a diverse ridership of ethnicities and gender. They have 50 floats, 20+ bands and famously begin lining up on Mardi Gras day at 4am. FOUR A.M.! The catch of all catches at Mardi Gras is a Zulu Coconut. They hand it out, they aren’t allowed to thow it anymore. Shame. (Tuesday, February 17th, 8am)

REX, the King of Mardi Gras, has been parading longer than any other organization and the king of Rex is considered King of Carnival. Each year it is an older man who is prominent in the community (usually for social, business and philanthropic endeavors)and a lovely younger woman who is the daughter of a prominent family. This parade is a "Must See" but keep in mind the element of observation. The floats contain maskers in original costumes and elaborately decorated and hand-painted floats but they are notoriously stingy with throws. Appreciate it if you catch something. (Tuesday, February 17th 10am)

And that’s about it. Pace yourself, wear a costume, don’t pee in public. You’re golden! See you on The Route. And until you get here, turn this on and turn it up!

Once a month, the Chef John Besh blog will feature a guest blog post from one of Chef Besh’s closest friends, Jessica Bride. This New Orleans native is an amazing wife, mother of three, avid traveler, soon-to-be cookbook author, and she co-founded the John Besh & Bride Mayor Chefs Move! Scholarship.

There were two unmistakable signs in my life that I had reached adulthood. The first was that I started keeping scissors in my kitchen accepting that, for the rest of my life, I would need to be able to cut open bags of frozen peas and the plastic bag inside of cereal boxes and that there was a better method than using my teeth.

The second was when I learned how to assemble a cheeseboard. I was 25 and living on my own in NYC. It was empowering to know that for a small amount of money and a little bit of effort I could invite people over for a wine and cheese gathering. Pretentious too. Empowering and Pretentious. Jackpot.

The problem with cheese, like Google, is that the more you learn the more you realize there is to know. Before you know it you too are sending pictures of cats singing Christmas carols. At some point you have to just declare, “Enough!” There is a middle ground between tossing Nacho Cheese Flavored Doritos into a basket and being shunned from dinner parties for accurately pronouncing the Sternschnuppe that you had a friendly German goat herder you befriended on SnapChat mail to you.

Once you recognize this middle-ground it only makes sense to be able to put it together to create a winning cheeseboard. And this, along with scissors, propels you into bona fide adulthood. At any age.

The secret to a winning cheeseboard is finding cheeses and accompaniments that go well together and that appeal to your guests. Once you invite someone over, this is no longer about you. You want to create something that is enticing and gorgeous…and that says, “I did this for you!”

Logically, the first thing you need is a tray or plate to serve the cheese on. You want this to be flat, large and rustic. It looks way better to serve cheese on something that may have been collected from a building site than on your grandmother’s best china. One of my secrets is, actually, using building materials. You can pick up 18-inch-square paving slates or marble tile samples for $5- $10 from Home Depot or a tile showroom. Alternatively use your darkest wood cutting board. Remember to consider the size – you want your platter to look full but not crowded.

The next thing you need is a different knife for each cheese and a small spoon for any gooey cheeses.

After that you need a baguette and plain water crackers. For a baguette you are looking for something long and thin that you can slice into pieces just thinner than your pinky finger. For crackers your best bet is your favorite variety of Carr’s Water Biscuits.

For the beginner:

It is important to remember your audience. If your guest of honor is Aunt Myrtle and she thinks the McRib is exotic, don’t make her uncomfortable with a bunch of retched dairy products. You can show off your expertise by making your cheeseboard simple and beautiful…and perfectly pitched.

For the beginner cheese board, select one cheese in each of these three categories:

Intermediate:

Here you are putting together a cheeseboard for a group of friends or coworkers with generous dining-out allowances from their work, spouses or trust funds. These are people who you know love wine and cheese and who will appreciate the extra effort you make. These are cheeses that are a little more intense in flavor and might need to be located at a store with a specialty cheese section.

1 bunch of sweet red grapes, washed and portioned into small bitsA piece of spicy dried salami, partially sliced (leaving some for your guests to slice)Quince paste or fig jam

Advanced:

Now, you are ready to show off. Trainspotters only on this one. These cheeses are mostly the same as intermediate but you are going to add a cheese category and let your cheeses tell a story. Select all cheeses typical for their country of origin for instance or all cheeses from one country and get people to guess the country. Also consider serving a sweet wine – such as a vintage port no younger than 25 years old or a Sauternes, a sweet white wine from France. Also you are going to up your game on the accompaniments including paring special oatcakes with blue cheese instead of just crackers. This one is going to cost a little more money and will be a centerpiece for a cocktail evening or a very special dessert for a large dinner party.

1 bunch of sweet red grapes, washed and portioned into small bitsA piece of spicy dried salami, partially sliced (leaving some for your guests to slice)Quince paste or fig jam1 box of oatcake crackers to pair with the blue cheese in addition to the other crackers and baguette6oz thinly sliced Brasaola (air dried beef)A handful of pickled vegetablesA handful of olives with seeds

(Nothing says sophistication like serving olives with pits and watching your guests hold intelligent conversation while trying to suavely discard an olive pit from their mouths. Don’t forget the little cup to catch all the disgustingly chewed up remains set near, but not on, the cheeseboard)

Final notes:

Plan on 3-5 oz of cheese per person depending on whether it is a dessert course (less needed) or a stand alone party tray (more needed)

Make an effort to remember the names of the cheeses and their countries of origin. If you have a terrible memory then just write them down as you unwrap and discard the labels. If all goes well you will, most certainly, be asked to write them down for an adoring fan.

And very lastly, cheese is about a million times better if it is served at room temperature – especially really ooey gooey stinky cheeses. Take them out several hours in advance and let them come to room temperature. For ooey gooey cheeses (like Epoisses) put them in a warm spot for a few hours. Maybe a location that catches the sun for an hour, or on the counter near you oven.

Summer is over! Time to put down the chilled lean racy whites and Roses, however delicious, that we all drink during the hot months, and think fall.

I love the seasons and the changes that come from the garden. Time for butternut squash, quince, pears and apples. Time to make soup again. My childhood was filled with leaf raking and visits to the cider mills in Michigan, so fall for me is the smell of the forest floor and apple cider.

The wine region I think of for fall is usually the Loire Valley. I love this region all year if I am to be honest, but come fall I put aside the Sauvignon Blancs from Sancerre and drink Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, two of my favorites.

Chenin Blanc

Young Chenin Blanc has aromas of quince, rose and acacia blossoms. Aged it takes on a more candied fruit and honey aromas. Spice, pear, apple flavors combine with wet stone and a touch of honey. Not too dry, not sweet either. Comes in varied levels of sweetness from Sec to demi-sec to Moelleux (sweet). Delicious with pork chops or thanksgivings feast, Chenin has the minerality to even take on cranberry sauce. If nothing else try with soft to semi-firm cow's milk cheeses such as gruyere or brie. Also would be delicious with an herb crusted goat cheese.

Producers to look for : Domaine Huet or Domaine Aubuisieres.

Cabernet Franc

Speaking of cranberry, we come to Cabernet Franc. The parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, both grapes found in Bordeaux, but Cabernet Franc ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon so it is perfect for the cooler temperatures of the Loire Valley. Here Cabernet Franc takes center stage. Young Cabernet Franc is a fruitier wine with light tannins, aromas of cherry, strawberry and violets. Mature Cabernet franc has aromas of leather, forest floor and ripe cranberry and spiced raspberry, bigger, bolder and delicious with a leg of lamb and white beans or pork roasted with rosemary. Cabernet Franc from this region in France is very different from Cabernet Franc from Napa Valley, Bordeaux, or South Africa. While it has power there is always a minerality and leanness that is distinctive to this region. Try it with aged Gouda or a sweet gorgonzola.

There are tons of things I didn’t know about British people before I married one. For starters, they are incredibly funny. Not just the odd one here or there, but all of them. As a breed. Just funny. They also invented the stiff upper lip. And whatever the opposite of exaggeration is. When my husband has an absolutely horrible day and his clients quit and his boss hates him and his ideas stink and he steps in dog poop and scratches the side of his new car he freaks out with something like, “That’s not the best day I’ve ever had.” It’s like they carry the loss of the Empire with them on a daily basis and nothing, nothing, seems bad after that.

But here was my favorite discovery: They love Champagne. Like the way you love that Call Me Maybe song even though you pretend you don’t. Like southerners love college football. The way Millennials love positive feedback. All the time. No special event required.

Nick, my aforementioned British husband, even has friends whose black and white spaniel recognizes the shape of a Champagne bottle and goes crazy when one is pulled out until someone shoots the cork out of the top so he can chase and retrieve it. Sticks? Not interested. A ball? Save your time. Champagne cork? Barney is all over it.

I, like the rest of the world not speaking The Queen’s English, used to think of Champagne as a special event drink but I’ve enjoyed getting used to it as an every day thing. Right now (this may get embarrassing) I have two magnums of Veuve Cliquot and several bottles of Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose in our garage refrigerator, three bottles of Prosecco in the wine refrigerator, a bottle of Gruet and two bottles each of Pol Roger and Nicholas Feuillatte calling my name from their cozy little nook under the stairs. Of course Champagne may best be served ice cold and in perfect crystal Champagne flutes but with all of these bottles knocking around the place, and with my propensity to take anything simple and overcomplicate it, it was inevitable that I would eventually tackle champagne cocktails. Fortunately this is the perfect time of year because Halloween is just around the corner and after that, like dominos, comes Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannakuh, Festivus, New Year’s Eve, Valentines Day and Monday.

So stick the bubbly in the fridge and polish up the Champagne flutes. There is no time like the present to try your hand at discovering or perfecting a signature cocktail for the season.

Grand Champagne Cocktail

Sugar cubeAngostura Bitters¾ oz Grand MarnierSparkling Wine

Soak a sugar cube with 3 dashes of Angostura bitters and place in the bottom of a champagne flute. Add a half jigger (3/4 ounce) of Grand Marnier. Fill with very, verycold sparkling wine and top with a lemon twist.

BEST MADE WITH

a dry domestic version: Gruet, Ceja, Jordan

Champagne & Chambord

¾ oz ChambordChampagneRaspberry

In a champagne coupe add ½ jigger (3/4 oz) Chambord and fill with cold Champagne. Top with a fresh raspberry.

BEST MADE WITH

French Champagne or sparkling wine or Prosecco.

Champagne Mojito

Place a sugar cube in the bottom of stemmed glass. Add ½ jigger (3/4 oz) white rum, 3 mint leaves and the juice of a lime wedge. Add a splash of club soda and stir. Fill to the very, very top with ice and then top with Champagne. Garnish with a lime and mint leaf.

Each year, Domenica celebrates the birth of a new year and new life during the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah. One of the more important food traditions associated with this holiday is Challah, a soft, delicious loaf of bread that is shared with the whole table. We asked Chef Lisa White, our pastry chef at Domenica and also the creator of the Domenica Challah, and Chef Alon Shaya, Executive Chef of Domenica Restaurant and Co-Owner of PIZZA domenica for their perspectives on this special braided bread.

Challah by Chef Lisa White

When I was nine, my Mom married a Jewish man from Long Island, New York. We were from California, and yes, the Valley... all I can say is “like” Long Island was “totally” different.

The adventure into a new land and new family was exciting, scary, loud and fun. Prior to moving to New York we were a very, very small family with a working Mom that celebrated the big three holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. My mom had made the deliberate decision to make holidays for her girls about magic & believing, which I truly treasure to this day. I mean I remember seeing bunny footprints through the house. Pure magic.

Our new life in New York brought holidays of remembrance and holidays that centered around the family table. Some of my fondest memories of my youth in New York were the times spent at this new family table… it meant we were going to dinner at Uncle Irwin & Aunt Rochelles house. If we were going to Uncle Irwin & Aunt Rochelles house that meant the whole family was getting together grandparents, cousins, family friends... everyone. Easily over 25 people. It was a party!

Often times the food was new and strange to a 10-year-old California kid. You are not going to tell me that Gefilte Fish out of that Manischewitz glass jar with its jellied broth is not a strange new food to a kid that ate tacos and carrots out of her back yard. I don’t want to give the impression that I didn’t like anything though. I still to this day remember Aunt Diane’s corn pudding which was for a specific holiday that I can no longer remember, but I remember that pudding. If I remember correctly it was Grandpa Joe that gave me a bite of my first NYC Knish with mustard of course. Everything was just new.

Often times I remember sitting and watching to see what my new cool older cousins ate in order to learn how to navigate this new family table. There was always one thing that was familiar: bread. Although the bread had a new name, it was soft and sweet and comforting and way better than Branola (the “bread” my mom made us eat with our school lunches).

This new bread was called Challah. It makes me smile now thinking of it. When everything else was just too new or different, I would take a bite of that bread that I never seemed to pronounce correctly, and feel at home.

Chef Lisa can be reached at lwhite@chefjohnbesh.com.

Challah by Chef Alon Shaya

Challah has played an important role in my life. One of my first food memories is devouring a bowl of matzoh ball soup with a generous hunk of challah at the kitchen table. It has grown to mean much to me over the years.

I was born in Israel, and moved to Pennsylvania at a young age. As a Jewish family, we upheld our traditions and held Shabbat dinner every Friday night. And every Friday night, there was challah. I looked forward to the beautiful display of glowing candles, china and platters of amazing food reserved for Shabbat. My mother, grandmother, and aunt spent all day preparing the food for dinner. If I was well behaved, they let me help cook the meal. No Shabbat dinner was complete without a loaf of fresh challah. I remember my grandfather stealing me from the work in the kitchen to go with him to his favorite bakery and help pick out the challah we would enjoy that night. He was adamant that theirs was the best. But everyone had an opinion on the matter; and this would often become a heated topic of conversation during Shabbat dinner. Before we lifted our forks to eat, we recited the Ha-Motzi blessing over the challah. We performed this prayer not only on Shabbat, but also at almost every other religious ceremony that my family observed.

I grew a respect for this holy bread. I admire the connection between spirituality and the sharing of a meal that the tradition of eating challah represents. I still feel a tie to a force more powerful than just a dedicated baker every time I tear into a loaf.

I always look forward to Rosh Hashanah for the round challah specifically baked for the holiday. Rather than the typical braided challah, the round challah baked for Rosh Hashana symbolizes the cycle of life and the New Year. I am proud to serve challah at Domenica during this holiday. Chef Lisa White is baking challah that would make any Jewish Grandmother jealous! We are serving it with local Tupelo honey, candied walnuts, and my grandmother’s recipe for Lutenitsa: a Bulgarian spread of roasted eggplant, tomato, and pepper. I hope you will come partake in one of my favorite dining traditions —even if you are just on the prowl for some delicious bread!

Chef Alon can be reached at ashaya@chefjohnbesh.com.

For reservations at Domenica, please visit www.domenicarestaurant.com or call 504.648.6020.

BY MAGGIE MOORE, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO JOHN BESH: My best Mardi Gras experience to date was getting to ride as the returning queen in the Krewe of Freret during their inaugural parade down St. Charles. This was the first time I rode in a parade, and it was so much fun! On top of that, being able to ride on a royalty float is an experience that I didn’t think I would ever have. From the start of my day at 7:00am until the end of the after party, I had a blast every second of the day.

My day started with a bloody mary in hand while I was escorted in a limo to the float line up. This Krewe had been waiting two years to receive a permit to roll, and the day had finally come. The best part about the ride was that I had some of my friends on the float by my side.

It was such a great time to ride down St. Charles Avenue and see family and friends waving and saying hello. Some friends that I saw, I hadn’t seen since high school!

As we all know around here, I dance when I’m extremely happy. My favorite quote of the day came from one of the founders of the parade who was on the float behind me. “You know, most queens just wave to the crowd. Not you and your friends! Every time I looked at your float, you girls were dancing.” I danced the entire parade! I have mastered dancing and throwing beads to the crowds.

After my first and last ride as queen, I can’t wait to join the crowds in the streets this weekend. And look for me next year breaking it down with the Krewe of Freret once again!

BY CHEF LISA WHITE, DOMENICA: Bread has always been a part of our world's history, and with every part of history, there is always a story. Considering all varieties of bread, I find Ciabatta to be the most interesting. Ciabatta, which most imagine to be old-world, is a recent culinary creation that came out of the 1980’s. Some say nothing good came from the 80’s, but I think Ciabatta is a prime example of how that is not the truth.

Near Venice, Arnaldo Cavallari developed Ciabatta Polesano in response to the French baguette taking over the sandwich world. Designed to be the complete opposite of the baguette, yet still be a great sandwich bread, Ciabatta used old-fashioned methods while still seeking out that old-world flavor. Today, nearly every region of Italy has a variation of Ciabatta, whether it be the crust, the crumb structure (big or little holes), or the type of liquid used to make the dough.

What interests me most is in its development, Arnaldo Cavallari used the same four simple ingredients: flour, water, sea salt, and yeast. All of these are used in the baguette, and yet still produce such widely different results. This is why I truly believe baking bread is both magical and an art.

*Please note: A stand mixer with dough attachment is the best tool for making ciabatta in order to ensure the dough gets enough air to rise properly. The recipe will work if kneaded by hand, but will not yield the same results.

Instructions

Combine milk & yeast – whisk together until dissolved in mixing bowl for mixer. Add flour. Using the dough hook attachment of your mixer, turn on slow speed for 3 minutes. Scrape bowl to make sure all is incorporated. Add sea salt. Turn mixer to medium speed for 4 minutes.

Cover bowl with plastic and let sit on counter for 75 minutes.

Once the dough has risen in the bowl, cover the counter with a thick layer of flour. Using cold wet hands, make three folds of the dough while it is still in the bowl, then dump out onto your heavily floured counter. Let the dough sit for 30 minutes. Cut and shape the pieces – slightly rectangular like a “slipper”. Let the dough sit for another 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set a baking stone or an upside down sheet pan inside the oven.

The best way to pick up the dough is fingers down thumbs up – carefully compact the dough so it won’t fall through your fingers and stretch out on heated baking stone or sheet pan like a slipper. Don’t worry about a perfect shape - this is rustic bread.

Bake for 450 for approximately 20 - 30 min – should be light as a pillow when done – at least half the weight it was before it went into the oven.